Improvement in gang-plows



2 Sheets-Sheet l.

S. BRYAN.

GANG-PLOW. w

Patented Feb. 8.1876.

WITJV SSES HER, WAS

'NITED 'I'ATES PATEN'I' OFFICE SAMUEL BRYAN, OF TWI N GROVE, WISGONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN GANG'PLOWS.

Speeification forming part of Letters Patent No. 173,264, dated February 8, 1876; application filedV July 13, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that `I, SAMUEL BRYAN, of

Twin Grove, in the county of Greene and State of Wisconsin, have in'vented certain new and useful Improvements inGang-Plows; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, forming part of this specilication, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevat-ion, showing the plows Iowered and ready for operation, the right draft-wheel being removed to reveal'the construction of the other parts more clearly. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, showing the plows raised and ready to be moved from the field. Fig.`3 is a r'ear elevation, showing the plows in the same position as in'Fig. l; and Fig. 4

'is a side elevation, showing' how the' plow is relieved when it encounters an immovable obstacle.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawings denote the sa'me parts.

The invention consists in the mode of conneting the plows to the frame, and providing for an independent lateral movement of any one of them that may happen to encounter an immovable obstacle obliquely athwart its path.

In the drawings, A A' are the draft-wh'eels,` mounted loosely on an axle, B, from which rise two stout standards, O .(J, having a Vertical series of holes, c c c. D is the main frame, composed of two, three, or more longitudinal beams,

i d d, one stout cross-beam, d1,`in front, one oblique cross-beam, dz, near their rear end, and one-intermediate stout cross-beam, d3, directly over the axle B. The standards O extend up through suitable holes made in the cross-beam da, so that the'horizontal elevation of the main frame can be adjusted by means of keys or pins d4 in the holes 'c c, for the purpose of enabling the plows to cut more or less deeply into the ground when at work. The front crossbeam is connected to the lower side of the axle by means of stout metal rods or chains f. The

' tongue or draft-pole E is attached to a roller,

e, mounted in suitable bearin gs proj ecting from the front side of beam d1,and.the draft is communicated to the axle and Wheels mainly through the fiexible rods or chains, but to some extent also through the standards O. G

G G are upright spring-steel lstandards attached to the beams d d d, near the'rear ends of to hold the plow-standards normally in place,'

but to yield Whenever the plows on their land side run against any oblique object that forces them to the right, and to return the plows to their proper position after the object is passed. K K are the plows. L L are draft-rods, swiveled, as shown at l, to enable their lengths to t be adjusted, and serving to connect the plowstandards with the front ends of the beams at m m, where their forward extremities extend into metal sockets, and are secured by wooden pins n, that will ordinarily hold the plow, but will break and liberate any plow when it encouuters an immovable obstacle. To one of the spring-steel standards G is attached a vertical ratchet-plate, r, and to the rear end of the draft-pole is firmly fixed a stout lever, T, which extends backward and upward in such a position that when depressed sufficiently it Will engage with the ratchet-plate, and thereby lock the main frame to its rear end. The tongue being then brought to, or nearly to, a horizontal position, as shown iu Fig. 2, the plows will be raised out of the ground, and will remain suspended until thelever is again disengaged from the rack, when the plows will drop to the position shown in Fig. 1. The righ t-hand'plow is arranged to run behind, and directly in line With, the right draft-wheel, so that both Wheels can be driven upon the unplowed land, thereby dispensing with the necessity of making the right wheel larger than its mate' The structure of the whole apparatus, it will be observed, is exceedingly simple and compact, yet strong and durable. The draft is applied in nearly direct'liues from the tongue. All the parts can be readily and easil y adjusted; and while for all ordinary purposes the i lieving them from undue strain may be applied to a single plow, in distinotion from a gang of plows, if desired, the single beam taking the place of the frame D, and the other parts working as herein set forth.

I claim as my invention'- 1. The ploW-standards I, extendng 11p through the plow-frame, and pivoted to the top' of the standards G H above said frame,

substantially as and for the purpose desoribed.

2. The spring-clasps J, combined. with Vthe beams dhlong spring-metal plow-standards I, and standards G H, substantially as and for the purpose deseribed.

SAMUEL BRYAN. Witnesses:

` F. T. SUMMERE, M. H. PENGRA. 

